For once, the football gods smiled upon the Washington Football Team, granting a momentary reprieve for a club that's already on its fourth kicker this season.
Brian Johnson, the Bethesda native who signed with Washington only five days before making his kicking debut for them on Sunday, was granted the opportunity of a lifetime to play hero for his hometown team in the final minute against the Raiders.
An undrafted kicker out of Virginia Tech now kicking for his third team in his rookie season, Johnson's number was called with the game on the line on Sunday, as Washington trailed Las Vegas by a point with just 42 seconds left in regulation.
And Johnson delivered, nailing the 48-yard kick to put Washington up 17-15 and leave just 37 seconds on the clock. The Raiders were unable to advance the ball past their own 43-yard line on their final drive, leaving Washington victorious for a fourth straight week.
It was a rare moment of optimism for a special teams unit that's had to hold its breath all season, going through Dustin Hopkins, Chris Blewitt and Joey Slye before landing on Johnson this week. Slye indeed looked up to the task, going a perfect 6-for-6 on field goals in three games after signing — all victories — after signing with Washington in Week 10. That is, until Slye was injured (hamstring) while chasing down a blocked extra point last Monday night against Seattle.
"Let's go baby! We're onto the next," said an elated Johnson walking off the field after kicking the game-winning field goal. "That's the mindset: onto the next. We're leaving here in Vegas with a dub."
Quarterback Taylor Heinicke had familiarized himself with Johnson that morning before the game, but admits many Washington teammates probably would have struggled to call their kicker by name before Sunday's game-winning kick.
"Kudos for our kicker," Heinicke told reporters in his post-game remarks. "Not many people on the team really knew his name this week coming in, and he made a name for himself today."
That was indeed the case for defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who after the game copped to not knowing Johnson's name as the kicker was lining up for the game-winner.
Signed off the Bears practice squad on Tuesday, the kicker held the line, and now everyone in Washington knows the name Brian Johnson.
Even if his teammates did not.
